Kyonin
Kyonin is the elven homeland located southwest of the River Kingdoms and the Stolen Lands, separated from Galt by the great river Sellen, and bordered by the Five Kings Mountains to the south. Lore The homeland of the elven race on Golarion, Kyonin was almost completely evacuated by the elves just before the fall of the Starstone. They only recently (by elven standards) returned to Golarion to reclaim their ancient homeland and have become an isolationist realm, allowing few non-elven visitors into their mist-shrouded capital, Iadara History Kyonin may not always have been known as Kyonin and has not always had the same borders as it has today, but it has always been the spiritual homeland of the elves. It is unknown exactly how long elves have resided there. Before Earthfall, the elves did not measure time in any meaningful way, only by the great astrological cycles and the ebb and flow of the seasons. Certainly Kyonin was inhabited for a very long time before Earthfall, as numerous ruins of monuments, buildings, fountains, orreries, and sculptures still dot the forests north of the Five Kings Mountains. The elves lived in harmony with the land during this period, as the structures they built seem to grow from the landscape itself. Geography Kyonin is a haven of incredible natural beauty. The predominant feature of the country is the Fireani Forest, but Kyonin also boasts sweeping plains and the northernmost peaks of the Five Kings Mountain Range. The Five Kings Mountains form the southern border of Kyonin. On the western border lies Lake Encarthan, and the northern and eastern borders are formed by the Glass River, the West Sellen River, and the Sellen River, which flows to the Inner Sea. Inhabitants Kyonin has the largest population of elves on the planet, despite their low birth rate. Kyonin is considered the spiritual homeland of the elven people; as such, many elves are steadfastly opposed to the idea of non-elves living in Kyonin. Some extremely isolationist groups, such as the Winter Council, are known to be violent in their opposition. There are, however, three communities where non-elves are welcomed. The port city of Greengold was founded to allow trade with foreign merchants on Kyonin soil, and has flourished into a cosmopolitan city inhabited by members of every civilized race. Additionally, half-elves occupy the fishing village of Erages, and gnomes have built a treetop community above the elven settlement of Omesta. Despite the fact that the return from Sovyrian happened over 2,000 years ago, the elves of Kyonin are still in the process of reclaiming the settlements they abandoned while fleeing the Starstone. Government Queen Telandia Edasseril, bearer of the Viridian Crown, is the ruler of Kyonin. Although she is an absolute monarch, Talandia understands that freedom is one of the highest ideals of the elven race. As is the case in human courts around the world, elven courts are no strangers to factionalism and intrigue, and members of her court and her advisors question her decisions, or actively work to advance their own interests. Their advice is wide-ranging and include urging her to retake more of their ancestral racial holdings across Avistan and Garund, definitively deal with Treerazer and his minions, or address the drow issue. In addition to members of her Iadaran court and her own advisors, independent elven groups, such as the conservative Winter Council, also hope to change the queen's mind on a number of issues. Queen Telandia knows that for elves to recapture their power in the current age, they must shrug off their cloaks of isolationism and reengage with the world, and with each passing year, more non-elven ambassadors are allowed into Kyonin to explore the mysterious nation. Category:Lore Category:Locations Category:Elves Category:Sellen River Category:Sellen Category:Half-elves Category:Gnomes Category:Avistan Category:Chaotic Good